Australia's injury-plagued paceman Ryan Harris announced his immediate retirement from all forms of cricket on Saturday, dealing a major setback to his team's defense of the Ashes starting in England next week.
The 35-year-old Queenslander withdrew from Australia's ongoing warm-up match against Essex and walked away from the sport less than a week before the first of five tests against England starts at Cardiff on Wednesday.
"Given the news I received yesterday, and after talking it over with my family, I know now is the right is the time to step away from cricket," Harris said following scans on his troublesome right knee.